Harvester-platform



.(N0 Modem 2 sheets-sheet 2. l; C. WHITNEY.

`HARVBSTEP. PLATFORM. No. 291,448. Patent-edJan. l, 1884.

\ Jmvejgofr: mn asses.-

n UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

CHARLES WHITNEY, OF SYOAMORE, ILLINOIS, ASSIGN OR OF THREE-FOURTHS TO O. W. MARSH AND W. WV. MARSH, BOTH OF SAME PLACE, AND| RALPH AND` WILLIAM A. 'TALOOTT, BOTH OF ROCKFORD, ILLINOIS.

` HARVESTER-PLATFORM.

a SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 291,448, dated January 1, 1884,

Application filed May 1, 1883. (No model.)

which the following is a full description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a top or plan view; Fig. 2, a cross-section on line mw of Fig. 1, looking toward the outer cross-girt; Figs. 3, 4, and 5,

` details of the adjustable frame carrying the sprocket-wheel which supports the platformchain by which the wheels are made to act as tighteners; Fig. 6, a detail of the front sill or linger-beam in cross-section.` l

This invention `relates to devices for carrying, delivering, and adjusting the grain either to a self-binder or "to other points of delivery,

and its objects and nature will be fully understoodfrom the accompanying description and l the summing up of the claims.

The invention is designed more particularly for use with platform self-binders; but it can be used with other styles of machines.

In the drawings similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts.

The front sill or finger-beam, A, of the platform is made of a piece of iron or other suitable material, having an inwardly-proj ecting ilange at both the top and bottom, the flange at the top being of sufficient width to project over the edge of the first platform-chain and form a guard for the front edge of such chain; and the bottom flange may be extendedback and be joined to the bottom of the platform or other portion of the frame-work, or it may stop for@` i ward of the first chain.

This metal #fingerbeam has attached to its front face an `angle- Airon, c, to which are attached, "by rivets or otherwise, the` fingers or guards a for` ythe sickle, whichiingers or guards are of the usual construction. By `making the front sill or iinger-beani of a piece of angle-iron, a beam is `provided of sufficient strength to withstand the strain, and of no great amount of thickness laterally as compared with the ordinary wood en iinger-beams, and by making the upper flange of this finger-beam project over and form the guard for the rst or front chain of the car- A rier, the carrier can be located that much nearer to the front of the machine, bringing the front or first chain at a point to act on the grain nearer` the butts, which is very desirable, as it enables the butts, which are liable to lag as the grain is carried forward, to be caught by j the front chain and moved over the platform,

and by using the angle-iron a for the attachment of the ngers or guards a simple and ready means, and at the same time one that is strong and durable, is provided for securing the fingers or guards in place. The platformframe is to have a rear sill or beam, A, an a outer end sill or cross-girt, A, and an inner end sill or cross-girt, A3, as'usual.

The receiving-platform, as shown, is made in two sections, the front section, B, consisting of a series of strips arranged to leave an opening, b, for thepassage of the teeth for each of the carrying-chains, and, as shown, these openings are formed by metal strips b, one located on each side of' each chain slot or opening, to furnish a-guide for the travel of the chain and the means for holding the chain down to its work. These metal strips b are attached, by screws or otherwise, to wooden strips b b3, which are secured at the ends, in any suitable manner, tothe cross-girts 'A" A3, and, as shown, the strips b are each secured to an upright, c', which rests upon and is secured to the bottom A5 of the platform, and the strips b are secured to these uprights c by means of screws or otherwise, so as to be readily removed for the purpose of obtaining access to the' chain for repairs or adjustment,

or for cleaning out the track or pathway inwhich the chaintravels, which pathway may become clogged bybroken straw carried around by the chains, or in some other manner; and by using these secondary wooden strips b, to which the guide-strips b are attached, a larger opening is left for access to the chain or interior of the platform when the metal strip is removed than would be the case if the strip alone were removed, which is very desirable, as giving plenty of room in which to make the necessary repairs or adjustments or do the cleaning, allof which has to be done, more or less, when `toothed chains are used for the carriers. The rear section of the carrier is formed with a single slot b and two metal strips b, secured in. the saine manner and for the same purpose as the strips b of the front section, B, of the carrier; and between the front and rear sections is an intermediate section, B, made of a piece of board or other suitable material hinged to the rear edge of the front section, or pivotally connected at each end with the cross-girts A A3, so as to be free to be raised or lowered, as required for the condition of the grain, and, as shown, it is held in its elevated position by a swinging latch, C, attached at one end, as shown, to the outer end of the intermediate section, and having its free end arranged to engage with notches or stops on the outer cross sill or girt, A; but it can be attached at some other point to the intermediate lplatform and in some other manner, and be arranged to be held in position, when elevated, otherwise than by notches or stops on the cross-sill.

The object of hinging this intermediate section so as to have it capable of being elevated is to cause long grain, or grain which is reeled too far back on the platform, to be carried forward by sliding down the incline formed by the intermediate section when elevated, thereby bringing the butts forward and in a position to be acted on by the platform-chains, and for this purpose theintermediate section, B', can be set at an upward inclination for the fall of the grain on the platform by simply changing the plane of its inclination. The under yside of the platform is covered by sheet metal or other suitable material, A5, secured vto the frame-work in any suitable manner,

and this covering forms a support or track for the carrier-chains on their return movement, and prevents the teeth from dropping down in such movement, and on the forward movement the platform-chains are held or supported on the track c of strips of wood or other suitable material, which are secured at Y the ends to the cross-girts Av A, and, if desired, -they may also be secured to the strips b3.

The carrier-chain D is made up of a series of links, as usual, having teeth d, pivoted to the links at the required distance apart to act on the grain. This chain D, in its forward movement, rides on the track or guide way c, and on its return movement rides on the bottom A5, and on the forward movement the teeth are held' projected above the platform by having their heels come in contact with and ride over the track or guide way c. Each chain D is driven by a sprocket-wheel, E, located on the shaft E at the delivery end of the platform,v as shown in Fig. l, and carried by a sprocket-wheel, E, at the outer end of the platform, the shaft E being supported in suitable bearings in the front and rear sills, A A. Each sprocket-wheel consists of a flange or side located to come on each side ofthe chain NAAA. fb ...1.1.,

which it carries, the iianges having suitable openings to receive projections on the chainlinks, as usual. The sprocket-wheels, at the outer end of the platform, are each mounted or supported in separate frames, F. Each frame F consists of side pieces or bars, f, and a plate, f', joining the two sides at one end. Each plate f is provided with a 'longitudinal slot, f, and this plate f is secured to the outer cross-sill by means of a bolt, g, passing through the sill and through the slot f,- and in order to hold the frame against the strain of the chain in use the upper surface of the plate f is serrated, and a serrated washer, g', is used to clamp and firmly hold the chain when the nut of the bolt g is firmly down to place. rlhe framesF not only furnish the support and bearing lfor the sprocket-wheel, but also form a guide to keep the respective chains in a straight line of travel, and by means of these frames each chain can be tightened, to give it the correct degree of tension to run properly, to do which all that is necessary is to loosen the nut of the bolt g until the washer g can be released from the serrations in the plate f', and then move the frame forward or back, as required, to loosen or tighten the chain, and when the desired point is reached the frame is locked in position by engaging the washer with the plate and tightening the nut. This arrangement, as will be seen, enables each chain to be adjusted independently by changing the position of the frame F, which carries the sprocket-wheel of lthe chain to be adjusted, so that one chain can be adjusted without disturbing the others. When the lower' flange of the finger-beam A extends back, it will serve as a guard for the under side of the front platform-chain; but when it stops forward of this chain theguard will be formed by the bottom A5, and in practice the lower iiange can be dispensed with or used, as desired.

The end of the rear sill, G, of a drive-wheel frame is shown in Fig. l. The remainder of this frame is not shown nor described, as it forms no part of the invention 5 but such frame may be of any of the usual and well-known forms of construction and arrangement.

The toothed chains, sprocket-wheels, and independently-adjustable frames carrying the sprocket-wheels can be used with other forms ofplatforms thanthe one shown and described, and the flanged nger-beam can be used with other arrangements of platform and carrierchains than those shown and described.

Vhat I claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination of the front platform chain and the finger-beam, formed of iron or other suitable material, and having its upper edge turned inward over the chain to form a shield or covering for the front of the chain and enable the latter to work close to the sickle and on the butts of the grain, substantially as and for the purpose described.

2. A finger-beam having its upper edge IIO turned inward to form a shield `for a front platform-chain, and having its front face provided with an angle-iron, a, substantially as and for the purpose described.

3. A grain-receiving platform consisting of removable strips b', secured to strips b b3 to form slots or openings b, for enabling accessto be had to the interior of the platform forrepairs and cleaning, substantially as specied.

4. A grain-receiving platform consisting of the front and rear section, having slots b, formedby strips b', secured to secondary strips, b b3, trackway c, supports c', and bottom A5, in combination with a chain, D, having teeth d, substantially as and for the purposes specified.

`5. The frame F, adjustably mounted on the platform-i`rame, and having side pieces, between which is journaled the pulley E, lin coninaled, in combination with a bolt, g, passingthrough the slot of the frame, for adjusting and holding the frame, and the carrier-chain supported by the pulley and guided by the side pieces of the frame, substantially as described. i

CHARLES WHITNEY. Witnesses:

O. W. BOND, ALBERT H. ADAMS. 

